Permutation electric switch.



MATTHEW EDWARD MESKILL, 0F JERSEY CI'l-" Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec., 3, 1918.

-pplieation led April 25, 1918. Serial No. 239,756.

.To all wwm t may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTI-inw E. MnsnrLL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of N ew Jersey, have invented a new and improved .Permutation Electric Switchl` of which the following` is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric switches or circuit breakers and has particular reference to devices of this character that are intended to provide a convenient and reliable means whereby an authorized person only may close the circuit and so derive the advantage from the strength of the electric current passing through the circuit.

More deiinitely stated the invention relates to a means whereby an electric circuit, such for example as an automobile electric circuit'for operating or controlling the magneto or other ignition means, the self starter, the lamps, or the like may be controlled or broken through any one or more of a series or plurality of movable switch units each of a permutation or changeable nature so that should the combination be acquired by an authorized person the combination may easily changed from time to time or whenever desired, and in a practically unlimited number of possible changes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parte in the several views, and `in which-- Figure 1 is a front. elevation ci' the device indicating the dial plate and a series ci? tire rotary membersl indicating the several permutation switch units.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. l, and indicating a. diagram of the `entire circuit.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line ri-23 of Fig. 2.

Iiig. 4 iS a similar view on the line M; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional detail about on the. line 5`5 of Fig. 2.

While the means for carrying out my iinproveznent may be excmplied in various vters shown as ten in number mechanical devices or designs oi mechanism 1 illustrate what lF regard at this time to be a preferred embodiment of construction, the same including a substantially metallic casing` 10 adapted to be counter sunk within the dashboard of an automobile and there secured with a` face plate 11 thereover constituting a closure tor the principal parts oi the switch mechanisn'i within the casing.

The internal construction comprises a heavy base plate l2 of any suitable rigid material such as metal; a front bar 13 which likewise may be of metal; an intermediate plate 14 of ber or similai` insulating material arranged between the plate 12 and 'oar 13 and parallel thereto, and any suitable spacing members such as struts 15 and 16 arranged between the plate 14 and the first mentioned members respectively. The arrangement is such as to provide a strong and rigid skeleton including the members 12 and 13 but between which there is no direct electrical communication.

17 indicates a battery or other source of electrical energT froml which a circuit 18 leads through a magneto, motor, or other -power device indicated diagrammatically at 19 and which is adapted to lbe operated for any suitable purpose when the circuit 18 is unbroken. 1he circuit wires 18 are adapted to lead over any desired distance in any suitable direction and adjacent to the casing 10 are preferably inclosed in a flexible tube Q0. For the sake of elearness of description the parts of the circuit within the casing will be indicated by distinguishing reference characters;

21 to 25 inclusive represent a series of contact cylinders of any suitable conducting metal, each cylinder being hollow and fitted upon a hub or cord Q6 of insulation lixed upon a spindle Q7 journaled in the plate 12 and bar 13. The several spindles 27 being provided on their-front ends with a series of knobs or finger pieces Q8 to 32 respectively whereby the Contact cylinders may readily be rotated by the operator. The several knobs Q8 to 32 are provided with pointers Q8 to 32. Associated with each knob and its pointer are a circular series ol index cha racand indicated by the digit numerals l to 0. A series of contact springs 33 to 3T inclusive have constant bearing upon the rear ends of the sev- Each of these snrino's is anchored in a block at 46, but for convenlence to the reader in understanding the relation between the several fixed studs of each. series, the pairs or groups of contacts directly related to each other and to the index digits above referred to are all similarly identiiiedin Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The studs 46 are fixed in and extend through the insulation plate 14 and upon the rear end of each of which there is Iixed a connector conductor 47 leading to another stud of the same pair, the latter studs, however,being arranged in rows along and close to the upper and lower edges of the plate 14. These studs /are indicated generallyT by the numeral 48 but severally identified by the same index digits as the 'ther studs with which they' are associated in pairs through the connector conductor-S147. The margins of the plate 14 are likewise provided with index digits in practice to correspond to the digits on tlieface plate, the digits on the margins of the plate 14 being then arranged in such position as to identify the connec tions with those digits ofthe` face plate that will produce the combination desired. In other Words the upper margin of the plate 14 carries those digits that correspond to the numbers of the digits corresponding to the studs 46 and 4S on the upper half of the' plate, While the lower margin of the plate i4 carries the remaining digits and all arranged in the order in which the digits are arranged in the upper and lower half of the series on the fare plate. The conne toi` conductors 47 are permanent as likewise is the connection of the spring contacts 33 to 37, and also the spring contacts 41 to 45 are permanently connected in fixed position to the several c vlinders. v The several pointers also have a fixed relation to the cylinders pertaining to the same units and the spring contacts earried thereby.

. Within the casingr the circuit wire 18 leads to and has a permanent electrical contaI t with the spring 33 at the screw 39. The direction of iiow ofthe current for the sake of this description may be presumed to be inward into and through the casing beginning with'tl'iis wire 18a thence it iows through the spring 33, contact cylinder 21, sprinrT contact 41, one of the studs of the circular series 46 corresponding to the cylinider according to the adjustment of the several indicators. in the drawings the indicaa head 49 is secured upon the front end of the stud of the series 48 corresponding to the 0 index whence it leads to and is anchored by the screw 39 at the next contact spring 34. See F 1g. 4. 'llience the current Vflows throueh the sirine' 34 cilinder Lid. b D 7 L contact spring 42 and stud 4 of the second circular series of contacts 4G, through the connector conductor 4T to the contact stud 4 of the series 43 of the second unit and thence by a third conductor wire 18C to the third contact spring and so on, the next circuitl connections being indicated respectively at 18d, 18e and finally iSf from the easing into the main circuit 18. From what has been stated it will be noted that in order to change or determine. the con'ibination desired the operator has but to attach the several hubs 49 to those studs of the series 48 that correspond to the index plate digitsof -the desired combination. Each wireconncctor 18h to 18e is long enough to reach across to either edge portion of the plate 14 for vconnection with edge thereof.

Between the frontend of each core 2G and,

the front bar 13 is located a tension spring 5() which has a dual function of preventing undesired rotation of such hub or Contact cylinder and to maintain the spring contact 4l in position to engage the series of studs 46.

lVith the adaptation of this improvement as a safety appliance for an automobile for example, it being borne in mind that it may be used in any electric circuit for various purposes, the owner or driver of the -n'iachine having selected a distinct combination such for. example as indicated in Fig. l, 0 4 0 0 2, when he leaves his car therefore he has simply to turn any one or more oi" the knobs from the normal runnin g posi tion correspondingto the' combination indicated thereby breaking the circuit at as many of the contact springs 4l to 45 as have been vso rotated.

When the owner or driver returns, in order in the face plate. bar and base plat-e, a com tact cylinder surrounding each of the sev eral spindles and insulated therefrom but rotatablc with the spindles, a fixed spring contact having constant engagement With each cylinder, a spring contact carried by and ro Laecfro gz tatable with each cylinder, a circuit Wire first mentioned members, a circular series of leading to each fixed spring contact, each of contact studs surrounding each cylinder and the clrcuit connectlons except the first being supported by the insulated support, a like selectively and variably Iadjustable, and a number of otherxed contact studs xed to l 5 series of selective fixed contacts associated -said support, permanent connections between with each cylinder and the spring* contact the studs connecting them in pairs, means to carried thereby and to which the connections carry a current to each cylinder and thence aforesaid are adapted to be connected. to a selected stud of the circular series asso- In an electric switch, the combination cated therewith, and means to convey the l0 of two spaced parallel members, a series ot' current thence from the other` fixed stud of spindles journaled in and spanning the the same pairto the next cylinder, the cylinspace between said members, a Contact cylinders being severally and independently roder fixed to and insulated from each of the tated. several spindles, an insulated support e1n 15 bracing the several cylinders between the MATTHEW EDWARD MESKIL'L 

